Then I'll try it a few more times, and sometimes it will sync up after that. If not, then I go through the entire "send settings" drama to try and reestablish contact between the two.

Today I even had to reset everything and elect which database to wipe out in order to get them to synch. My iphone database had become disassociated from my sync database on my Mac, causing me to be unable to sync (I got mixed error msgs - "can't find server," and "need a password to enter secure site") and finally got to the question about which database I want to overwrite.

Any thoughts appreciated as to how to get consistent first-try synching.

whpalmer4

2010-02-03 04:03 PM

Have you tried working this out with the support ninjas? Sounds like a phone call might be in order. 1-800-315-OMNI or 1-206-523-4152

MacG5

2010-02-03 11:01 PM

Yes, me too. Same issue after updating to 3.1.3. This is complete new - and annoying, everything was fine under 3.1.2.
So far nothing helped, restart, reinstall, even restore of the iPod does not change anything.
When I re-setup the sync, the host was detected instantly - but sync take forever and then the timeout-message.
I sent feedback to apple, and the OF support, they replied soon, but suggest the common things to check: firewall etc.
But I think because of other users like macdaddy report these errors it must be the update to 3.1.3 causing the problems.
Hope it will be fixed soon...

macdaddy

2010-02-04 08:33 AM

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;72690]Have you tried working this out with the support ninjas? Sounds like a phone call might be in order. 1-800-315-OMNI or 1-206-523-4152[/QUOTE]

In response to the Sticky saying an email was preferred, I first relayed the issue via email and got the following response, so apparently a ninja will get back to me. Just checking with the forum to see if anyone else had run into this issue and had a fix. Also, based on other Bonjour issues, I assumed a canned fix was already in place that could quickly be emailed to me without my taking additional time for a call, walk-through of issue, try this, try that, etc. I'm not a beta tester and I just don't have that kind of time in my day (hence the need for a syncing todo program). The response:

Thanks for sending us mail - we appreciate the time you've taken to
contact us! This particular email was sent by a machine, but please
do take the time to read this.

OmniFocus for iPhone 1.6 was approved for the App Store on
Jan 9, 2010; we would like to make a strong recommendation that
customers update to that version as soon as it's convenient. It fixes
some important sync issues we discovered in earlier builds.

Release notes and an App Store link are available here:
<http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=14952>

Our Support Ninjas will read your mail and get another mail out to
you as soon as they possibly can. Usually, we send a response by
the end of the next business day; if we receive an overwhelming
amount of email in a short period of time, it can take longer.

If you're having a problem that needs a rapid response, please
forward this message to <urgent@omnigroup.com> and we'll get
back to you as soon as possible. Or you can telephone our
Support Ninjas at 1-800-315-OMNI (US Toll Free) or
+1 206-523-4152 (International) between 10am and 5pm Pacific Time.

There is no need to reply to this message right now. Your message
has been assigned an ID of [OG #508067].

In the meantime, you might want to check the OmniFocus for iPhone
frequently asked questions list. You just might find the answer to
your question there, without having to wait for our response! It's
located here:

<http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=8442>

Last but not least, we think customer service is very important to
our success; if you have any feedback at all about this or any other
interaction with us, please send email to
<customerservice@omnigroup.com> and we'll be happy to help.

Thanks again for contacting us!
-- The Omni Group

macdaddy

2010-02-04 09:00 AM

This morning's sync effort (after adding 2 items to iphone OF):

"Unable to find sync server.
No server could be found that matches your sync settings.
Please make sure that your sync server is awake and that OmniFocus is open."

Hit "cancel" and retried to synch several times, kept getting the same message. No settings changed from yesterday's last successful sync.

Went to iphone Settings and verified wifi connection to Mac. Went to OF on iphone Settings, then down to Synchronization, then to "Get Settings from Mac. "Searching" - after 20-30 seconds I get "No Wi Fi Connection." Re-verify valid wifi connection with Mac via iphone Settings, try again, same reult.

iphone OF/Settings/Get Settings From Mac = "if you don't see your Mac in the line below, resend settings from OF on Mac." I do this - "searching", then the Mac network shows up on the line, BUT

After getting "Synch currently in progress" (and progressive sync line appears, but no advancement), I then get
"Unable to synchronize database with server.
can't find host
Cancel Retry"

No matter what I tried for 15 minutes, I couldn't sync the iphone OF with the Mac OF. Maybe I am a beta tester, after all.

macdaddy

2010-02-04 09:05 AM

After typing the post above, I hit Retry in response to the last error message and, Eureka, it sync'd successfully. Nothing else was changed from the prior efforts, including the locations of the iphone and Mac.

Again, any thoughts re: consistent first-try synching appreciated.

whpalmer4

2010-02-04 09:45 AM

Again, I think your best bet to get this resolved quickly is going to be to call them. The suggestion to send email is in contrast to posting on the forum, where there's no guarantee an Omni staffer is going to see your message in a timely manner (or even perhaps at all), and that the debugging information they will want may not be "forum friendly" (read: lots of apparent gibberish). Also, a problem of this sort (the program not working as intended) is clearly a bigger hindrance to your using the product successfully than an issue where some of the columns don't sort the way you want, for example, and you should not feel shy about calling them to speed the resolution.

I think you should be prepared to discuss the specifics of your networking setup when you call; this sounds to me like there is a reasonable possibility that Omni's code may not be at fault. I wonder if your phone isn't sometimes connecting via WiFi and sometimes via cellular data, which would probably cause similar symptoms (not able to find the server because Bonjour won't find the server if you are on separate networks as would be the case if using the cellular link). What happens if you turn off the cellular data connection? Do you get solid connectivity and sync behavior? I have an iPod Touch, not an iPhone, so I'm not 100% sure off the top of my head that you can even do that, but if you can, it might shed some light on the situation.

macdaddy

2010-02-04 10:08 AM

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;72704]Again, I think your best bet to get this resolved quickly is going to be to call them. The suggestion to send email is in contrast to posting on the forum, where there's no guarantee an Omni staffer is going to see your message in a timely manner (or even perhaps at all), and that the debugging information they will want may not be "forum friendly" (read: lots of apparent gibberish). Also, a problem of this sort (the program not working as intended) is clearly a bigger hindrance to your using the product successfully than an issue where some of the columns don't sort the way you want, for example, and you should not feel shy about calling them to speed the resolution.

I think you should be prepared to discuss the specifics of your networking setup when you call; this sounds to me like there is a reasonable possibility that Omni's code may not be at fault. I wonder if your phone isn't sometimes connecting via WiFi and sometimes via cellular data, which would probably cause similar symptoms (not able to find the server because Bonjour won't find the server if you are on separate networks as would be the case if using the cellular link). What happens if you turn off the cellular data connection? Do you get solid connectivity and sync behavior? I have an iPod Touch, not an iPhone, so I'm not 100% sure off the top of my head that you can even do that, but if you can, it might shed some light on the situation.[/QUOTE]

I don't doubt the connectivity issue could be on the iphone side of things. I've heard of some kind of bug like that, back in May when I got the phone, but at least one other developer (Appigo, I believe - I recall I ran into similar problems with that program and stopped using it for that reason, among others) was aware of the issue then and was working on an iphone software fix with Apple (I believe). If, in fact, the problem was universal to the iphone 3.0 system/hardward, I figured by now all of the developers would have worked with Apple to get to the bottom of the issue, write around it, etc.

As far as cutting the non-wifi connection, the only option I have is Airplane mode, but that kills all communications, including the wifi, so I can't isolate the wifi from the data connection.

It could well be a hardware/software problem limited to the iphone. If that's the case, so be it - just let me know and I'll stop asking OF and its users for help with the issue.

I was able to disable edge by going into Airplane mode, then turning wifi (only) back on. After that, I noticed the wifi fan was sporadically appearing and not appearing on various screens (Home), including OF. When the wifi fan wasn't on the OF screen, no sync, but when it was, no problem. I reset the "lease" on the wifi to try for a better connection, but don't know if that fixed anything.

I'll keep an eye on things re: the presence/absence of the wifi fan, but thanks to the wifi connection tip, it appears the problem may not be with OF, but with the iphone (hard/firm/software). See: [url]http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2044754&start=0&tstart=0[/url]

In my case, the iphone "Wi-Fi Networks" screen shows wifi IS activated, but the reality is that edge is still "in control," and OF doesn't "see" the wifi connection (hence, the error messages). The wifi fan also does not appear at the top of the iphone screen (note - this wifi drill/issue only appears when syncing with Bonjour network - regular wifi web surfing, etc., works fine). Not sure why OF synch works sometimes, but not others.

8. Once sync'd, exit OF by pushing button on front/bottom of iphone, returning to Home screen
9. Go to Settings - Turn Airplane Mode "Off" - iphone will search for Edge, and, once found, you'll see edge and wifi fan at top. If you want wifi "Off," simply hit Wi-Fi while in Settings, which takes you to Wi-Fi Networks screen, and turn Wi-Fi "Off."

10. Iphone - press button on bottom/front to return to Home screen.

11. Mac - turn off Bonjour network, if desired.

Thanks for the help. Couldn't have gotten it to work without it.

macdaddy

2010-04-27 08:15 AM

Problem Continues

Once I've not synched for several days and have received the warning box to that effect, and try to sync using the above strategy, OF activates, the wheel at the bottom spins for a long time, then it times out saying it can't reach my server (bonjour mac). Wifi local network is intact, wifi fan is on, etc. Looking at OF Settings, no sync is occurring. Re-send server settings, etc., no relief.

Go to OF Settings, Synchronization - Get Settings From Mac, then go to OF desktop to Send settings, and my Mac shows up - hit synch button - spins - then after 30 seconds or so Mac disappears and "Searching" resumes, followed by "Unable to Synchronize Database with Server". Wifi fan intact, and iphone shows wifi server is the Mac.

Restart iphone OF and it attempts to auto-synch, spins, after a minute+ it stops and displays (!) telling me it can't synch database with server.

From past experience, I know that if I reset everything and establish a "new" relationship between the iphone and Mac, it will ultimately work, but that's not practical. What appears to be happening is that if the mac and iphone aren't synced for a while and you get the message, then the link between the two is broken as to the then-current settings and must be reestablished. At least that's the way it appears to me.

EDIT: Downloaded new update from iTunes (.3), synched update to iphone, same result. Quit OF on mac and restarted, then it synced on its own. Quite possible the update fixed the problem, but time will tell.

Edit: Nope - still episodic syncing. Seems to be a firewall problem - only "allow all incoming connections" works, even though OF (mac app) is in the "except" list when limiting access.

Edit: 4/30 - Now syncing fine, even w/o allowing "all access" at firewall, and without having to put iphone into Airplane Mode.

Edit 5/5 - Once again, no sync until allowed "all access" at firewall, then sync'd fine.